A Coach's Diary

Michael Jordan wanted to be the best. He competed to win, and he hated to lose. Because he wanted to be the best, he was the hardest worker in the gym. By his 5th year in the NBA, he had become the Rookie of the Year, regular-season MVP, All-Star game MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year. MJ was leading the NBA in scoring every year, and he was on his way to becoming the best individual player in the game. But Jordan wasn't having team success. He was criticized because he wasn't winning at the level of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Isiah Thomas. The Chicago Bulls hired Phil Jackson as the coach, and Phil's goal was to emphasize team play and to take the pressure off of Michael by teaching him how to get his teammates more involved. Michael Jordan said that he wasn't always a fan of Phil Jackson. He said, "[Phil] was coming in to take the ball out of my hands. Doug put the ball in my hands." Phil had a philosophy to get them away from 1-on-1 basketball and m...

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)." Have you ever noticed that some people rebound and bounce back quickly from adversity while others let adversity hold them back? GROWTH MINDSET  is believing in your ability to learn, grow, and be successful through dedication and hard work. When you have a  GROWTH MINDSET , you understand that effort makes you better, so you will be more willing to put in the extra time and effort you need to be successful. I love the Olympics because it is filled with stories of athletes with  GROWTH MINDSETS  and athletes who have overcome adversity to be among the best in the world. Wilma Rudolph was an American sprinter who became a world-record-holding Olympic champion in track and field. Wilma was prematurely born as the 20th of 22 kids. She was a sickly kid who had to wear a brace on her leg and overcame polio to compete in the 1956 Summer Olympic Games, and in 1960, she became the first American woma...

With the transfer portal blowing up and transfer culture pouring down to club sports, high school sports, and youth sports, creating a great TEAM and HUMAN experience might be the most important thing that we do as coaches.  According to the book Making Work Human , PURPOSE, MEANING, and GRATITUDE are at the heart of the team experience. Purpose belongs to all. Meaning is unique to the person. Gratitude builds lasting connections. Purpose, meaning, and gratitude help teams THRIVE because they connect us to the work we do, why we do it, and who we do it with. Simon Sinek has said, “ Teams with a strong purpose and a strong sense of ‘WHY’ are able to inspire their athletes. ” Our purpose is our reason for being together. Without a shared purpose, our athletes (and coaches) might see our work as transactional and not transformational. Create a shared purpose through regular communication and building connections between the work we do together and how it can benefit the athl...

Success isn’t promised or given to anybody; especially not sustainable success. If you see somebody on top for an extended period of time, believe that they have put in the work to get to the top, and they have continued the work to stay on top. They have overcome challenges and adversity that we will never see or know about on their journey. They just never quit. That is what Michael Jordan’s former teammate B.J. Armstrong said about him. B.J. said that nothing was going to keep Michael from achieving what he wanted to achieve. He was too focused, competitive, and driven to let anything stop him. Early in his career, guys like Larry Bird and Isaiah Thomas, and teams like the Celtics and the Pistons did a good job of stopping him. But he took his losses, learned his lessons, and came back stronger and better each year until he was at the top of the mountain. There are a lot of 6’6 athletes in the NBA, but there aren’t nearly as many 6’6 athletes who were willing to put in the work that...

Think about how much better our teams, and the world could be, if we focused on loving each other and lifting each other up. Playing team sports helps us learn how to work with all types of people. Some of our teammates are easy to be around and play with, while some teammates are a little more difficult to get along with. The same can be said for coaches. Some coaches are easy to play for, and some coaches are more difficult to play for. As Chrisitians, we are called to love all teammates and all coaches. When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment,” he replied, “‘ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments .’” The original Hebrew word for neighbor is plesion, and it means friend or any other person. Jesus said the two most important things that we are called to d...

What can I learn today? How can I be better tomorrow? Baseball manager Earl Weaver said, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." Legendary football coach Knute Rockne said, "Build your weaknesses until they become strengths." By asking yourself, "What can I learn today," and, "How can I be better tomorrow," you are starting the process of learning, growing, and getting better by learning how to learn (Mind Gym). Your mind is like a parachute. It only works when it is open. Be open to teaching and constructive criticism. Be self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Know what you are good at, and know what you need to work on. Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, known as The Big Unit, said, "You never stop learning in this game. If you ever think you know everything, it will jump up and bite you. Hard." Michael Jordan said that every summer, he wanted to add something to his game. When you stop working and adding...

Do you love it? Do you love practicing? Do you love playing? Do you love dribbling the ball while you are watching TV? Having grit and a growth mindset are very important, but passion and love has to come first. Being successful in sports is hard. You have to push yourself beyond your limits, and you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone. It takes grit to do that, but it also takes love and passion. It is hard to go through hard things if you don’t love what you do. Fall in love with the game. Fall in love with practicing. Fall in love with working on your game on your own. When you are in the gym, at the court, on the field by yourself, pause and say to yourself, “This is my favorite thing to do.” Michael Jordan had a ‘Love in the Game’ clause put in his first contract. He loved playing the game so much, he put in his contract that he had the ability anytime, anytime. He said, “It’s about playing with your heart and with passion. You play the game for the love of the game...